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146th Kentucky Derby Betting Odds
While you can bet on horse racing year-round, the sport really comes alive during the race for the Triple Crown. In a typical year that would start on the first Saturday in May from Churchill Downs with the running of the Kentucky Derby. A lot has changed due to the global pandemic with sporting events and league’s delayed, postponed and canceled. We will have the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby this year only it will be on the first Saturday of September and be the second leg. Just how big is the Derby? Both Kentucky and Louisville rescheduled their college football games to avoid any conflict with the horse race.
The 2020 Kentucky Derby is scheduled for Saturday, September 5. As is the case every year, the action at Churchill Downs can be seen live on NBC.
2020 Kentucky Derby at a Glance
Date and Time: Saturday, September 5, 2020, 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
Length: 1 1/4 miles ( 10 furlongs ), dirt track
Purse: Approximately $3 million
Kentucky Derby TV Coverage: NBC
Kentucky Derby Format
Typically we see 20 horses qualify for the Derby with up to four standbys in case something happens. The qualification process is extensive with horses accumulating points over the course of their two- and three-year-old seasons. The horses with the most points earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby field as long as their connections choose to race them.
With 2020 being an unusual year for horse racing and sports in general, the process was altered a bit. With the Derby postponed until September, several qualifying races were added to the schedule in advance of the 146th running. The Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, Arkansas Derby, Wood Memorial, Louisiana Derby, UAE Derby, and Florida Derby are the biggest races with the most derby points awarded to the top four finishers. Colts that finish first or second in any of these races are essentially granted automatic entry into the Run for the Roses.
A maximum of 20 horses run in the Kentucky Derby each year, and for the most part, the slots are always filled. The horses that end up as the favorites to win the Kentucky Derby are the ones which win major Grade 1 races held in March and April. The only exception is the UAE Derby winner who almost always ends up being one of the longer shots on the board. To this day, no horse which won the UAE Derby has come anywhere near winning the Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby Winners (Since 2000)
| YEAR |
WINNER |
ODDS |
JOCKEY |
TRAINER |
TIME |
| 2019 |
Country House |
30.00 |
Flavien Prat |
Bill Mott |
2:03.93 |
| 2018 |
Justify |
2.90 |
Mike Smith |
Bob Baffert |
2:04.20 |
| 2017 |
Always Dreaming |
4.70 |
John Velazquez |
Todd Pletcher |
2:03.59 |
| 2016 |
Nyquist |
2.00 |
Mario Gutierrez |
Doug O'Neill |
2:01.31 |
| 2015 |
American Pharoah |
2.50 |
Victor Espinoza |
Bob Baffert |
2:03.02 |
| 2014 |
California Chrome |
2.50 |
Victor Espinoza |
Art Sherman |
2:03.66 |
| 2013 |
Orb |
5.00 |
Joel Rosario |
Shug McGaughey |
2:02.89 |
| 2012 |
I'll Have Another |
15.00 |
Mario Gutierrez |
Doug O'Neill |
2:01.83 |
| 2011 |
Animal Kingdom |
20.00 |
John Velazquez |
Graham Motion |
2:02.04 |
| 2010 |
Super Saver |
50.00 |
Calvin Borel |
Todd Pletcher |
2:04.45 |
| 2009 |
Mine That Bird |
8.00 |
Calvin Borel |
Bennie Woolley Jr. |
2:02.66 |
| 2008 |
Big Brown |
3.50 |
Kent Desormeaux |
Richard Dutrow |
2:01.82 |
| 2007 |
Street Sense |
4.50 |
Calvin Borel |
Carl Nafzger |
2:02.17 |
| 2006 |
Barbaro |
6.00 |
Edgar Prado |
Michael Matz |
2:01.36 |
| 2005 |
Giacomo |
50.30 |
Mike Smith |
John Shirreffs |
2:02.75 |
| 2004 |
Smarty Jones |
4.10 |
Stewart Elliott |
John Servis |
2:04.06 |
| 2003 |
Funny Cide |
12.80 |
Jose Santos |
Barclay Tagg |
2:01.19 |
| 2002 |
War Emblem |
20.50 |
Victor Espinoza |
Bob Baffert |
2:01.13 |
| 2001 |
Monarchos |
10.50 |
Jorge Chavez |
John Ward Jr. |
1:59.97 |
| 2000 |
Fusaichi Pegasus |
2.30 |
Kent Desormeaux |
Neil Drysdale |
2:01.00 |
We witnessed a first at the Kentucky Derby in 2019 when the horse that crossed the finish line ahead of the pack was not the winner. With closing odds of 65/1, Country House became the second biggest upset winner being awarded the blanket of roses after it was determined Maximum Security obstructed the path of a few runners. Jockey Flavien Prat and trainer Bill Mott reached the winner’s circle for the first time.
Fastest Times in Kentucky Derby History
| YEAR |
HORSE |
TIME |
| 1973 |
Secretariat |
1:59.40 |
| 2001 |
Monarchos |
1:59.97 |
| 1964 |
Northern Dancer |
2:00.00 |
| 1985 |
Spend A Buck |
2:00.20 |
| 1962 |
Decidedly |
2:00.40 |
Running the Kentucky Derby in anything less than 2:01 or so is considered blazing fast. Secretariat has held the track record for nearly 50 years, running the 1973 Kentucky Debry in 1:59.40, and he is one of two horses to finish the race in under two minutes. The last three winners couldn’t even crack 2:03.50, but the track was not optimal for each of those three races.
Longest Odds To Win the Kentucky Derby
| YEAR |
HORSE |
TIME |
| 1913 |
Donerail |
91.45 |
| 2005 |
Giacomo |
50.30 |
| 2010 |
Super Saver |
50 |
| 1940 |
Gallahadion |
35.20 |
| 1999 |
Charismatic |
31.30 |
The odds of a horse like Donerail winning the Kentucky Derby again are slim and none, but with the way these prices play themselves out, you never know. No one gave Country House much of a chance after favorites dominated the Kentucky Derby for the last five years, but he pulled off the second-biggest upset in Derby history.
Most Jockey Wins in Kentucky Derby History
| JOCKEY |
WINS |
YEARS WON |
| Eddie Arcaro |
5 |
1938, 1941, 1945, 1948, 1952 |
| Bill Hartack |
5 |
1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1969 |
| Bill Shoemaker |
4 |
1955, 1959, 1965, 1986 |
| Angel Cordero Jr. |
3 |
1974, 1976, 1985 |
| Calvin Borel |
3 |
2007, 2009, 2010 |
| Earl Sande |
3 |
1923, 1925, 1930 |
| Gary Stevens |
3 |
1988, 1995, 1997 |
| Isaac Murphy |
3 |
1894, 1890, 1891 |
| Kent Desormeaux |
3 |
1998, 2000, 2008 |
| Victor Espinoza |
3 |
2002, 2014, 2015 |
It's becoming tougher and tougher for modern jockeys to have success in a race like this one, but there are a few who really stand out. Calvin Borel has made a living out of winning the Kentucky Derby with late-charging horses who love running on the rail. However, it's Victor Espinoza who is getting the most run now after winning with California Chrome in 2014 and American Pharoah in 2015.
Most Trainer Wins in Kentucky Derby History
| TRAINER |
WINS |
YEARS WON |
| Ben Jones |
6 |
1938, 1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952 |
| Bob Baffert |
5 |
1997, 1998, 2002, 2015, 2018 |
| D. Wayne Lukas |
4 |
1988, 1995, 1996, 1999 |
| Herbert Thompson |
4 |
1921, 1926, 1932, 1933 |
If you thought it was tough to try to figure out which jockey was going to win the Kentucky Derby year in and year out, trying to pick the trainer is even harder. Of this list of four men who have won the Run for the Roses at least four times, only one is relatively modern in Bob Baffert. He has trained two winners recently, American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018.
When Doug O'Neill won the race with Nyquist in 2016 that ended a stretch of 13 consecutive years in which a different trainer won the Kentucky Derby. O'Neill also trained I'll Have Another in 2012.
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